Return
by Hatted Hatter
Summary: "I guess it was stupid to think you'd be waiting." "I did wait for you..." In which Sakura finally chooses.


**It's crappy I'm sorry, but angst isn't a specialty of mine and this just wouldn't go away. Its not even long! I annoy myself sometimes. **

**On another note, people added me to their favourite author list. It made me smile when I stumbled across it.**

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When he came back Sakura knew. Of course it was hard not to know, everyone was talking about it. Sasuke had returned finally. But when she saw the way Naruto looked at her with hurt in his eyes and a sense of waiting, she became confused.

Why now? Why did he have to come back now? She was moving on with her life, she had finally found someone. And then he returned and it was like she was 12 again…

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The new Team 7 were meeting at Sai's apartment, when he walked in. The tense silence that followed, before Kakashi broke it;

"Sasuke! Your 6 years late!" moving forward to clasp him on the shoulder, "Next time try to get here on time."

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded to him, "Sorry about that." his eyes scanned the room, resting on Sakura's wide eyed gaze,

"Sakura, I was wondering if we could talk? Tonight?"

Sakura continued to look at him, before swallowing hard and reply, her voice raspy, her mouth dry,

"Yeah, I guess…"

"Ok then, meet me by the crossroads in town?"

"S-sure."

Nodding Sasuke looked to Naruto who was looking between the two of them,

"It's good to see you again." with that he left.

Sai shook his head continuing to draw, "Awkward is the term I believe is used for this."

Naruto stood up, startling Sakura,

"I need to go-"

"Naruto…wait!" Sakura began but he cut across her,

"You should go be with Sasuke. I'll see you guys later." with that he left, leaving Sakura to feel like she was being torn in two.

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The crossroads were empty when she met up with Sasuke. He looked up at her approach.

"You came. I was hoping we could talk alone."

"Why did you come back Sasuke?"

"I wanted to see you, to see Naruto. I wanted to-"

Sakura looked at him as he traced a hand down her cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears,

"I wanted to ask you if…" he took a breath, "If it was too late? If you were with someone else?"

Sakura backed up a step in surprise,

"You wanted to see if I was in a relationship?" she whispered in disbelief,

"I hurt you. I know that, but I'm back now. I want to have a relationship with you. If you'll still have me?" Sakura was silent so he carried on,

"I know that I never appreciated you when we were twelve but things change, _I _changed. I want you to know I would never treat you the way I did then. Seeing the things I've seen, travelling to the places I went, helped me realise that. You and Naruto were the two constants in my life. I want to make it up to you both."

"Sasuke I-" Sasuke closed the distance between them, slowly lowering his face to hers.

Sakura turned away.

"Sakura?"

"Sasuke. Please, you may have changed, but, " she drew a breath, "So did I. I-I found someone else, Naruto and I, we-"

Sasuke let go of her and backed away,

"Sasuke, I'm so sorry, but I can't" it was a broken whisper, and Sakura felt her heart twist in pain at the sight of him.

"I guess it was stupid of me to think that you would be waiting for me all this time…"

Sakura looked up and reached out a hand to him, touching his cheek softly,

"I _was_ waiting. I feel like some part of me will always be waiting for you Sasuke. Like when I go to Suna and I'm old and wrinkly, I'll turn a corner and there you'll be and I won't be surprised. Because you'll always be with me Sasuke, you'll always be my first love and my friend and team mate."

Sasuke reached up and gripped her hand, moving his head so he could kiss her palm,

"I guess now's not that time though." he murmured,

"No." Sakura smiled sadly, "I missed you Sasuke. I wrote you so many letters, I went to the Uchiha mansion always hoping to see a light, hoping to see _you. _Every time I went on a mission I'd see someone with your hair colour and my heart would leap…I couldn't live like that."

She stepped away from him as he released her hand,

"I didn't know what to do when you came back, I saw you and I felt everything come back. I didn't want to hurt you or anyone. But…" Tears swam down her cheeks,

"Are you happy?" Sasuke asked holding her gaze,

"I am. I don't know how to explain it…"

"It would be better if you didn't." Sakura smiled slightly,

"He makes me smile, and he was there to pick up the pieces when you left."

Sasuke let a ghost of a smile appear,

"I'm glad that someone was…"

"Sasuke? What will you do now?"

Sasuke looked towards the Hokage mountain,

"I came back hoping to be with you, but… you and Naruto did fine without me. I don't want to ruin that. So…I guess I'll take off, there's a whole big world out there, maybe I can find something more than the life I had here…"

Sakura looked at him startled,

"When? When will you go?"

Sasuke looked back at her, "Now."

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and tried to bite back the sob, Sasuke drew her to him, as she held on tightly, crying quietly. He breathed in slowly, before kissing her hair and pulling back.

"I guess I should go. You should go to and be with him." he smiled slightly, "I'll tell Kakashi and the Hokage, let them make of it what they will."

Sakura wiped her eyes, "Will you come back?"

"Maybe. You never know what the future holds I guess."

"Next time give me an address!"

Sasuke smirked at her,

"Annoying as usual."

She grinned.

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Naruto opened the door at the soft knocking. Sakura stood there looking slightly scared,

"Hey." she smiled unsurely at him,

"Hey," was his murmured reply,

"Can I come in?" Wordlessly Naruto stepped aside to let her in.

Sakura stood in the hallway awkwardly, closing the door Naruto turned to her. She watched him as carefully as he watched her.

"I thought you'd be with Sasuke…"

"Naruto, I…"

He shook his head,

"Don't Sakura/ I always knew when he came back you'd… I know what he means to you…"

Sakura looked at him with tear filled eyes, Naruto was ready to tell her to go back to Sasuke and not worry about him, when her next words stopped him;

"How can you, when I don't even know?" Sakura took a shuddering breath, "I know what he meant to me. I…I see him and all the memories come flooding back. He's Sasuke. And it hurts."

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked him dead in the eye,

"Then there's you. You make me smile, you make me happy Naruto. Things were starting to get so good, and then this… I never meant to hurt anyone. But if I'm not honest it'll be worse. And it kills me but…"

Naruto moved to her and brushed her tears away with the pad of his thumb,

"You shouldn't hurt. Just do what makes you happy Sakura-Chan. You need to be with the person you love…"

"I am." she whispered and Naruto froze.

"Y-you mean…?"

Sakura smiled,

"I mean." she confirmed, "I should never have put you through that. But this time I promise you, I'll make it up to you."

Naruto grinned in happiness, gripped with the sudden urge to cry and laugh at the same time,

"Starting right now?" he asked wrapping her in his embrace,

"Yeah," she gripped him back with equal strength, "Starting right now."

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